Update: 6:45 p.m., Jan. 8:
An employee of a family-owned Cos Cob landscaping company was killed in a freak accident while cutting a tree Jan. 7 in the Belle Haven section of Greenwich, CT, according to Greenwich Police.
Alvarro Lopez of 122 Terrace Ave., Port Chester, was identified as the victim of the accident that was reported at 3:05 p.m., Jan. 7. He was employed by his family-owned business, Lopez Landscaping based on Bible Street in the Cos Cob section of Greenwich, according to police.
Police gave this account of the incident that occurred at 41 Bush Ave.: "Alvarro had been working on the property most of the day removing a large tree. Alvarro had climbed the tree, using boot spikes and was wearing a harness. According to witnesses, Alvarro had cut a large section of the tree trunk which unexpectedly fell backwards striking him and rendering (him) unconscious."
Police spokesman Lt. Kraig Gray said, "The trunk didn't fall the way it should have. It crushed him on his head, his legs." According to the police statement, "The ground crew, which included members of Alvarro’s family, extricated him from the tree and contacted the E911 dispatch center."
Police and Greenwich Emergency Medical Service personnel performed CPR in an effort to revive Lopez. He was taken to Greenwich Hospital where he was pronounced dead.
Gray said that a Spanish-speaking Greenwich police officer was needed to assist in the initial investigation because of a language barrier. OSHA is now handling the investigation into the incident, Gray said.
Original story: 5:38 p.m., Jan. 7:
A worker was fatally injured after falling from a tree in the Belle Haven section of Greenwich Monday afternoon, according to Greenwich Police.
In a voicemail press release, police spokesman Lt. Kraig Gray said, that about 3:05 p.m., Jan 7, "The E-911 dispatching center received a phone call from a 3rd party caller relating that a worker on an adjacent property had fallen from a tree and was severely injured. That fall could have been anywhere up to 30 feet."
The accident occurred on Bush Avenue in Belle Haven, Gray said. According to several emergency radio dispatches, the incident occurred at 41 Bush Ave.
According to Gray, "Upon the arrival of the officers and GEMS (Greenwich Emergency Medical Service), they did do CPR on the patient and transported him to Greenwich Hospital ER where ultimately that patient was declared deceased."
"The next of kin has been located but the final identification has not been made," Gray said. "The scene is being held for OSHA (the Occupational Safety and Health Administration) and a representative of that organization will come out to conduct their investigation."
Further details will be released Tuesday morning, Gray said.
*Editor's note: the time stamp of this story has been updated for layout purposes.
